P90X D-13: Adjustments & Thoughts

Day 13 – Big deal for me because the last time I did P90X it was cut prematurely because of school but here I am!

Couple of thought on how I’ve been doing:

1. I decided to add another week to my regimen so it’ll be P97X for me because I definitely needed a week to get past even finish each of the workouts.

2. I decided to modify the workout to assure that I finish it without injury.

3. I decided to insert sports and martial arts to replace the Kenpo X portions of the program for certain weeks.

4. Immediate improvements in strength, mindfulness, and energy and its only D13!

If you would indulge me for a few minutes, I will expand on these four points a bit.

First off, some of the reasons for wanting to modify the workouts is because Plyometrics and Kenpo X are a bit difficult to do on a weekly basis if you’re living in an apartment (even with mats). Because you get really conscious of the downstairs neighbors and so during these days I either play a good 2 hours of basketball or handball to complement these exercises. Another reason is because the specific movements in these workouts specifically target some of my past injuries so I decided to modify some movements in order to not reaggravate old injuries.

Alright!

1. I decided to add another week to my regimen so it’ll be P97X for me because I definitely needed a week to get past even finish each of the workouts.

Yes, the first week was brutal. After a 6 month hiatus from physical activity due to school work, it took me a full week to get my stamina, endurance, and strength back to an acceptable level. I found myself not even getting to the half point of some of these exercises which wasn’t great. I get that the 1st week is supposed to be like that, but I just wanted the 90 days which I put to this program to be worthwhile and something to be proud of.

2. I decided to modify the workout to assure that I finish it without injury.

Some more obvious ones which aren’t really “modifications” is to have assisted pull-ups done until I have more strength to do them unassisted. Some others which are more specific to my own needs was to do 15m of Yoga X before every workout. I found that the first 10 minutes of each workout session with heavy lifting (Chest/Back, Shoulders/Arms, Legs/Back) were not enough to make me feel properly stretched and limber. Lastly, I decided to do Ab-Ribber workouts during the cool-down days (Plyometrics, Yoga X, Kenpo X). This may be a bit controversial because I can imagine Tony to have very purposefully put the heavy lifting workouts together but I found myself being too exhausted after each of the lifting workouts to do another 15 minutes of very challenging ab workouts. Perhaps towards the end of the program I will have gained enough endurance to do them on the intended days.

3. I decided to insert sports and martial arts to replace the Plyometrics & Kenpo X portions of the program for certain weeks.

I am a huge fan of plyometrics. Lots of jump-based cardio and strengthening which are used to prevent sports based injuries. I love it. It’s just sometimes its so boring to keep jumping up and down when I could be doing a very similar workout outside but with a ball. So I decided in order to keep my enthusiasm level high for P90X I would play either handball (the NYC kind not the European kind) or basketball to continue the workout regimen. For me its done wonders to my level of interest and really helped me get through the “down-time” sessions of the program. In addition, the Kenpo X program is excellent but using a similar train of thought, I found myself wanting to continue my Taekwondo based regimens on these days in order to keep the interest up but also hone skills in an area which I love. I will alternate and be wary of the fact that the original P90X programs are essentially FOR these sports and more of a supplement to prevent injury.

4. Immediate improvements in strength, mindfulness, and energy and its only D13!

While I won’t be giving the traditional before and after picture on this blog after this program is over, I can assure you that I am definitely seeing my body and mind changing right before my eyes. My level of mental focus, overall stamina, strength, and body mass are increasing with each day. I can feel myself getting healthier which is not an obvious feeling after many other workouts. My experience with workout regimens that are focused on weight training was never a feeling of increasing cardiovascular health. Instead with a combination of regular portions of whey protein or other supplements and very little emphasis on cardio, I found my muscle mass increasing but not feeling very healthy after each workout. But with P90X I feel my flexibility and cardiovascular health improving as well as muscle mass buildup which is a very very beautiful thing.

All in all, its only D13 and I am seeing results. I can see now why many people are fans of this workout. An added bonus to the thoughtful workout techniques is the amiable nature of Tony Horton throughout the videos. He is very funny and a great communicator. I find that his style of instructing is quite effective.

D13! I look forward to keeping you updated on my journey to number 97.